Apparatus and method for laser bow sight alignment

ABSTRACT

A Compound bow adapter allowing a firearm bore-sight laser to be used for arrow and bow sight alignment. The adapter would allow the utilization of a firearm bore-sight laser for both firearms and compound bows.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 62/440,639, filed Dec. 30, 2016, the contents of whichare herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the alignment of bow sights and arrowrest, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for the alignmentof bow sights and arrow rest utilizing lasers.

While alignment lasers for compound bows exist, these apparatusexpensive and find limited use specific to compound bow technologies.Moreover, these apparatus limit the use of the sight and arrow restalignment laser to the user's compound bow and may not be utilized withother weapons, such as firearms. Likewise, while laser sight alignmenttechnologies are available to boresight a firearm, they do not permitutilization of the alignment laser on other hunting and sport shootingequipment, such as compound bows. Similarly, the boresight laseralignment devices for firearms are typically designed for to thespecific caliber of the firearm.

As can be seen, there is a need for an apparatus and method for thecross utilization of a standard firearm bore-sight laser to be mountedand used in for the alignment of a compound bow sight and arrow rest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a boresight laser adapter forsighting a compound bow is disclosed. The boresight laser adapterincludes a laser boresight carrier having an internal opening definedalong a longitudinal length of the boresight carrier. The internalopening is dimensioned to receive a bore end of a laser boresight devicefor a firearm. A mounting shelf has a first end and a second end, with aslotted aperture defined through the mounting shelf at the first end.The slotted aperture is configured to receive a fastener to secure themounting shelf to the bow. A shaft clamp is defined at the second end ofthe mounting shelf. A shaft is configured to rotatably couple the laserboresight carrier to the mounting shelf. The shaft has a free endadapted to be received in the shaft clamp and a head at an opposite endof the shaft. A bearing shelf is operatively coupled to the laserboresight carrier. The bearing shelf has a laterally disposed shelfaperture dimensioned to receive the shaft and retain the head betweenthe bearing shelf and the laser boresight carrier.

In some embodiments, the internal opening of the laser boresight carrieris dimensioned to correspond to a selected caliber of a firearm. Inother embodiments, a bearing is interposed between the head and thebearing shelf. A detent assembly may be received within a detentaperture defined in the bearing shelf and intersecting the shelfaperture. The detent assembly is configured to adjustably bias a detentpin for frictional engagement against the shaft. The detent pin isadjustable to retain the boresight carrier and the laser boresightdevice at a selected angle of rotation. Preferably, the bearing carrieris rotatable throughout a 360 degree vertical plane about the shaft. Theadapter may also include a laser boresight device received within theinternal opening.

Other aspects of the invention include a method of sighting a bow. Themethod includes attaching a laser boresight adapter to the compound bow.The laser boresight adapter includes a laser boresight carrier with aninternal opening defined along a longitudinal length of the boresightcarrier, with the internal opening dimensioned to receive a bore end ofa laser boresight device. A mounting shelf has a first end and a secondend with a slotted aperture defined through the mounting shelf at thefirst end and a shaft clamp defined at the second end. The slottedaperture receives a fastener to secure the mounting shelf to thecompound bow. A shaft is configured to rotatably couple the laserboresight carrier to the mounting shelf. The shaft has a free endadapted to be received in the shaft clamp and a head at an opposite endof the shaft. A bearing shelf is operatively coupled to the laserboresight carrier and has a laterally disposed shelf aperture that isdimensioned to receive the shaft and retain the head between the bearingshelf and the laser boresight carrier. The method includes inserting alaser boresight device in the internal opening of the carrier.

Next, the laser boresight carrier is rotated to orient a beam of thelaser boresight device towards a desired point along a bowstring. Thebeam may be adjusted so that it is centered on the bow string by lateraladjustment of the shaft within the shaft clamp.

Next, a notch of an arrow is placed at the desired point along the bowstring and a shaft of the arrow is placed on an arrow rest of the bow.The laser boresight carrier is then rotated to orient the beam along theshaft of the arrow. If necessary, the arrow rest is laterally adjustedto center the beam along the shaft.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the adapter mount in use applied to abow.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the adapter mount.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the adapter mount.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the adapter mount.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide an accessory mountthat permits the user to mount and use a standard firearm bore-sightlaser as an arrow rest and sight alignment laser on a compound bow. Thelaser mount adapter 10 of the present invention mounts to the bow 12using one or more standard mounting holes 21 existing either on the bow12 itself or to a sight mounted to the bow 12. The laser 26 may be heldin the mount 10 using a clamp 14 designed to receive for a particularlaser 26 to ensure proper alignment with the long axis of the bow 12.

As seen in reference to FIG. 1, the laser boresight adapter 10 accordingto aspects of the present invention is shown mounted to a compound bow12. In further reference to FIGS. 2-4, the adapter 10 includes a laserboresight carrier 14 configured to receive a laser boresight device 26.The boresight carrier 14 is coupled to a mounting shelf 16 via a shaft22 and a bearing shelf 24. The shaft 22 and its associated connectionsto the mounting bracket 16 and bearing shelf 24 provide for adjustmentand alignment of the laser boresight carrier 14 and laser boresightdevice 26 carried therein, for sighting of the bow 12.

The boresight carrier 14 has a cylindrical internal opening 15 extendingalong a longitudinal axis of the laser boresight carrier 14 that isdimensioned to receive a back end of the laser boresight device 26.Typically, the back end of the laser boresight device 26 will have adiameter corresponding to the caliber of a firearm for which the laserboresight device 26 is designed to facilitate sighting of the firearm.The internal opening 15 of the laser boresight carrier 14 may bedimensioned to correspond to a selected caliber for which the laserboresight 26 is intended to be used. Accordingly, the laser bore sightcarrier 14 may be formed as a substitutable element of the adapter 10 inorder to configure the adapter 10 to carry a specific caliber laserboresight device 26 or a laser boresight device 26 from a specificmanufacturer. The internal opening 15 of laser boresight carrier 14 maybe made of a resilient material to permit the laser boresight device 26to be removably retained within the boresight carrier 14 withoutdisturbing any sighting adjustments provided by the adapter 10.

A bearing shelf 24 is configured to be attached to the laser boresightcarrier 14. A shelf aperture 25 extends laterally through the bearingshelf 24 to receive and retain a head 32 of the shaft 22. The bearingshelf 24 and shaft 22 may include a bearing 30 within the bearing shelf24 that allows the boresight carrier 14 to be smoothly rotate 360degrees in a vertical plane with the shaft 22 extending substantiallyorthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the boresight carrier 14. As bestseen in reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the bearing shelf 24 may beconfigured with a detent assembly 34 to selectively control the freedomof rotation of the shaft 22 about the horizontal axis. The detentassembly 34 includes a detent pin retaining screw 36, a detent pinspring 38, and a detent pin 40 that is received within a detent aperture35. The detent aperture 35 intersects the shelf aperture 25. The detentassembly is adjustable to bias the detent pin 40 against the shaft 22 sothat the boresight carrier 14 and laser boresight device 26 are retainedat a selected angle rotation during sight alignment of the bow 12.

The mounting shelf 16 is configured for attachment to the bow 12 via afastener 20 that is received in the slotted aperture 18 which extendsfrom a first end of the mounting shelf 16 and along a major length ofthe mounting shelf 16. The slotted aperture 18 provides for fore and aftadjustment of the adapter 10 to the bow 12.

A shaft clamp is defined at a second end of the mounting shelf 16includes a shaft aperture 17, a slot 19 extending radially to the secondend of the mounting shelf 17 and a clamp bore 29 intersecting the slot19. The shaft aperture 17 is dimensioned to receive a free end of theshaft 22. A clamp fastener 23 may be tightened within the clamp bore 29to secure the shaft 22 to the mounting shelf 16. The shaft clampprovides for lateral and vertical alignment of the laser boresightcarrier 14 with the bow 12. The bearing shelf 24, shaft 22, and mountingshelf 16 may be made of metal or suitable solid materials.

In use, the adapter 10 of the present invention provides for themounting of the firearm bore-sight laser 26 allowing it to be adjustedleft and right on the horizontal axis as well as 360 degree of rotationabout the vertical axis. The adapter 10 is readily mounted to a compoundbow 12. The adapter 10 allows the user to adjust the boresight laserdevice 10 so that the laser beam hits the compound bow's string at adesired point along the vertical length of the string.

Once the adapter 10 is mounted to the compound bow 12 the laser 26should be adjusted left or right using the shaft clamp 25 until thelaser beam is centered with the bow string on the vertical axis. Oncethis is accomplished an arrow is attached to the bow string and placedon the arrow rest the same way it would be attached for shooting. Nextthe laser 26 should be rotated about the vertical axis and orientedalong the length of the arrow all the way to the arrow head. If at anypoint the laser beam is not centered on the arrow shaft, then the arrowrest would need to be adjusted left or right to re-center the laser.This procedure allows for proper alignment of the arrow with thebowstring. When utilizing the adapter 10 of the present invention with abow sight, then the same concept could be used to aligning the bow sightleft or right with the bow string.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A boresight laser adapter for sighting a compoundbow, comprising: a laser boresight carrier having an internal openingdefined along a longitudinal length of the boresight carrier, theinternal opening dimensioned to receive a bore end of a laser boresightdevice of a firearm; a mounting shelf having a first end and a secondend with a slotted aperture defined through the mounting shelf at thefirst end and a shaft clamp defined at the second end, the slottedaperture configured to receive a fastener to secure the mounting shelfto the compound bow; a shaft configured to rotatably couple the laserboresight carrier to the mounting shelf, the shaft having a free endadapted to be received in the shaft clamp and a head at an opposite endof the shaft; a bearing shelf operatively coupled to the laser boresightcarrier, the bearing shelf having a laterally disposed shelf aperturedimensioned to receive the shaft and retain the head between the bearingshelf and the laser boresight carrier.
 2. The boresight laser adapter ofclaim 1, wherein the internal opening of the laser boresight carrier isdimensioned to correspond to a selected caliber of a firearm.
 3. Theboresight laser adapter of claim 1, further comprising; a bearinginterposed between the head and the bearing shelf.
 4. The boresightlaser adapter of claim 3, further comprising: a detent assembly receivedwithin a detent aperture defined in the bearing shelf and intersectingthe shelf aperture, the detent assembly configured to adjustably bias adetent pin for frictional engagement against the shaft.
 5. The boresightlaser adapter of claim 4, wherein the detent pin is adjustable to retainthe boresight carrier and the laser boresight device at a selected angleof rotation.
 6. The boresight laser adapter of claim 1, wherein thebearing carrier is rotatable throughout a 360 degree vertical planeabout the shaft.
 7. The boresight laser adapter of claim 1, furthercomprising: a laser boresight device received within the internalopening.
 8. A method of sighting a bow, comprising: attaching a laserboresight adapter to the compound bow, the laser boresight adaptercomprising; a laser boresight carrier with an internal opening definedalong a longitudinal length of the boresight carrier, the internalopening dimensioned to receive a bore end of a laser boresight device; amounting shelf having a first end and a second end with a slottedaperture defined through the mounting shelf at the first end and a shaftclamp defined at the second end, wherein the slotted aperture receives afastener to secure the mounting shelf to the compound bow; a shaftconfigured to rotatably couple the laser boresight carrier to themounting shelf, the shaft having a free end adapted to be received inthe shaft clamp and a head at an opposite end of the shaft; a bearingshelf operatively coupled to the laser boresight carrier, the bearingshelf having a laterally disposed shelf aperture dimensioned to receivethe shaft and retain the head between the bearing shelf and the laserboresight carrier; inserting a laser boresight device in the internalopening.
 9. The method of claim 8; further comprising: rotating thelaser boresight carrier to orient a beam of the laser boresight devicetowards a desired point along a bowstring.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising: adjusting the beam so that it is centered on the bowstring by lateral adjustment of the shaft within the shaft clamp. 11.The method of claim 10, further comprising. placing a notch of an arrowat the desired point along the bow string; placing a shaft of the arrowon an arrow rest of the bow; rotating the laser boresight carrier toorient the beam along the shaft of the arrow.
 12. The method of claim11, further comprising: adjusting the arrow rest laterally to center thebeam along the length of the shaft.